Following the recent downturn on the HPS-CivicScience Economic Sentiment Index, CivicScience checked in on where consumers stand on a number of key issues related to spending and economic outlook.

Comfortability resuming activities has held steady over the past week with slight increases in shopping in stores and attending a major event.

And restaurant patronage has started to rebound with more Americans planning to dine in and order takeout (+2pp). However, plans to dine at a restaurant are still lower than they were a few weeks ago. 

While overall inflation concerns have taken a slight dip, fears surrounding inflation remain high at 91%. How is this impacting sentiment around the job market?

Pessimism around job outlook has been growing steadily over the past months, with 36% of U.S. adults predicting it will become more difficult to find a job over the next six months (up 14pp since April).  

And service industry workers are the least optimistic about the job market in the coming months, with a significant jump to 71% believing it will become more difficult to find a job, four times more than in the spring. 

Middle- and upper-income adults have also shifted toward a more negative outlook on the job market, more closely mirroring lower-income Americans over the past two months. 

CivicScience continuously monitors consumer trends – check back in each week for the latest insights.